by Dollita Okine, Face2FaceAfrica.com
From a child star to a well-known television and voice actress, Kyla Pratt has maintained an incredibly steady Hollywood career. Pratt, best known for her roles in “One on One” and as Penny Proud in “The Proud Family,” has focused on consistent work, including starring in Eddie Murphy’s “Dr. Dolittle” films, running her own sitcom, and returning to a popular animated series, which has led to her success and wealth.
Pratt, the daughter of actress Kecia Pratt-McCullar and Stacey, was born on September 16, 1986, in Los Angeles. In an interview with ATTN: Family Album, she described a happy, normal childhood filled with family and fun.
Pratt made her debut in a 1995 computer game commercial, followed by appearances on “Barney & Friends” and “The Parent ‘Hood.” At the age of nine, she landed her breakthrough role as Maya Dolittle in the 1998 film “Dr. Dolittle,” co-starring Eddie Murphy.
Pratt also spoke to Essence about how her family helped keep her grounded as she navigated her way through fame at a young age.
“I didn’t grow up in a household or in an energy that felt like, ‘People are watching you,’” she told the outlet. “I was still normal. I went to high school, the dances, I hung out with friends.” That stability seemingly allowed her to build a career without losing her sense of self.
Pratt attended Hamilton High School Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Los Angeles despite her hectic schedule. She worked on the sitcom “One on One” while attending regular school until the tenth grade. After that, she switched to homeschooling before finishing her education. Her structured upbringing enabled her to maintain the discipline needed to balance her education with a developing career. In retrospect, Pratt has frequently noted that her mother made sure acting did not consume her or her teenage years.
Pratt shared in a 2021 interview with Medium, “I am grateful for my mother. I was brought into this industry so young. I never felt forced to work. I was always given the option. I never was treated better than anyone else in my family because of the work I was doing. I truly feel that’s why I have been able to survive this long in a somewhat crazy industry.”
Pratt has been in a long-term relationship with Danny Kirkpatrick, with whom she has two daughters, Lyric and Liyah. While Pratt is making strides as an actress, Kirkpatrick is a musician, entrepreneur, and well-known tattoo artist who starred on “Black Ink Crew: Compton”.
With a social media following of more than 240,000, he’s built a solid professional reputation tattooing celebrities such as Meagan Good and Marcus Smart.
The couple has not been doing badly financially. Various sources state Pratt’s estimated net worth as of 2026 as $3 million. Her acting career, which includes voice acting, sitcoms, and movies, accounts for the majority of her wealth. Certainly, long-term visibility and steady opportunities have been made possible by initiatives like “One on One” and “The Proud Family.”
Pratt has worked with brands like Popsicle, Olay, and Legos, among others. In recent years, she has appeared on Hulu’s “Animal Control” and Lifetime’s 2025 thriller, “Girl in the Cellar.” Her ability to work steadily has enabled her to build a solid financial base.
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